Where Everybody Knows Your (Brand) Name

Monthly Archives: April 2013

I haven’t worn a bandana since I built a Habitat for Humanity house in high school. And since that was over a decade ago, I’m feeling pretty bad about my philanthropic side right now. But enough about volunteering for good causes, right? Let’s distract ourselves by talking about buying overpriced clothes. And later on, when said clothes arrive in the mail, perhaps the guilt will inspire you to donate to a non-profit. (Cheers to Carla: Where Everybody Knows Your Charity’s Name?) But back to the point: It would never occur to me to wear a bandana print.

Fittingly, #6 comes the Fred Perry for the Amy Winehouse Foundation line. The Amy Winehouse Foundation has been set up in Amy’s memory to support charitable activities in both the UK and abroad that provide help, support or care for young people in need. In continued support of The Amy Winehouse Foundation, Fred Perry released a fitting tribute to the singer’s iconic style; a love of ‘50s Americana is seen across leopard print polo shirts, gingham check skirts and polo dresses, with royalties and fees from the collection donated to The Amy Winehouse Foundation.

Having grown up on Kauai with a hula teacher mom and ukulele-collecting dad, I am a sucker for anything Hawaiian kitsch. So imagine my pleasure when Carla pulls out yet another Hawaiian print shirt in Season 2.

It’s a given that nothing beats a vintage Hawaiian shirt. But these aren’t too shabby:

Diane may have lost her sizeable inheritance and become a cocktail waitress, but she never lost her haughty airs. Wanting to look like an overeducated tennis-club-frequenting blue-blooded aristocrat, Diane’s jewelry of choice is, of course, a pearl necklace.

Now, I am not a Jew of the JAP (Jewish American Princess) variety. My car has a salvage title, my favorite clothes are from Salvation Army, and I haven’t had a manicure since I went to prom. Don’t get me wrong: I’m spoiled and I won’t take public transportation, I’m just not really a pearls kind of girl. I did receive a few sets of classic pearls for my Bat Mitzvah fifteen years ago, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never worn them. Here are a few more modern alternatives that I would wear. If I had to wear pearls.

I know, I know. Too much Diane, not enough Carla. But since Sam and Diane started dating, every episode in Season 2 is Diane-saturated and Carla-thirsty. So, we have to make do with what we’ve got. Thankfully, even Diane’s dullest outfits always have a few redeeming qualities that keep them interesting. In this case, it’s the embellished neckline of her red sweater.

Sheer, polka dot, cutout, two-tone, and cropped, here are a few red sweaters with eye-catching details.

If you recall from the Pilot: Diane Chambers post (or from the pilot episode itself), Diane first appeared at Cheers when she was quite literally dumped on the way to the altar by her fiance (and professor), Sumner Sloan. In Season 2, Episode 5, Sloan returns to try to win Diane back. Only by this point, she’s dating Sam Malone. Perhaps a not-so-subtle nod to the wedding that never took place, Diane wears a white dress.

The pompous Sloan tries to convince Diane that she belongs more in his (highbrow) world than in Sam’s (lowbrow) bar. Ever loyal to her dream of getting rid of Diane for good, Carla offers to help:

Carla: Hey Sammy, how ’bout I throw the scuzzball outta here?Sam: No, Diane would be furious.Carla: I was talking about Diane.

That disco cut — flowy sleeves, cinched waist, full skirt — isn’t easy to find these days. And the ones that do exist aren’t exactly easy on your bank account. But here are a few modern-day options:

When I imagine someone wearing multiple “gold chains,” it’s not a dainty or delicate image. In fact, I mostly just imagine 2 Chainz. And he looks like this. But Diane Chambers knows how to feminize pretty much any accessory or article of clothing. (As opposed to Carla, who knows how to de-feminize pretty much everything).

Reiss‘s Spring line of shirts includes two with a likeness to Diane’s. And here are a (price) range of gold(ish) mult-chain necklaces.